Combined knife and intrenching-tool.



PATENTED MAR. 28. 1905.

G. H. POWELL.

GOMBINBD KNIFE AND INTRENGHING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1904.

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UNITED STATES Patented March 28, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

GRAHAME H. POWVELL, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY 0. WILSON, TRUSTEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMBINED KNIFE AND lNTRENCHlNG-TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,829, dated March 28, 1905.

Application filed July 26, 1904. Serial No. 218,304.

To (I/ZZ 1071,07 w puny concern:

Be it known that 1, GRAHAME H. POWELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Buffalo, New York, (my post-office address being 1744c Gr street northwest, ashington, District of Columbia) have invented an Improvement in a Combined Knife and Intrenching-Tool, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying draw- IO ings, is a specification, like figures on the drawings representing like parts.

The aim of this invention is to so construct a sheath-knife and its sheath that the former may be used alone for usual purposes or the I5 two combined may be used as-an excavating or intrenching tool.

Afu rther aim is to provide improved means for supporting the same upon the person.

The various details of construction and combinat-ion of parts, together with the advantages flowing therefrom, will be clearly apparent from a description of one particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in.wl1ich 2 5 Figure 1 is a view of the device shown attached to a cartridge-belt, parts being broken away to disclose interior details. Fig. 2 is an edge view, partly in section, of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3isahorizontal section on the 3 line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. at is a view of the knife withdrawn from the sheath. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing means for supporting the knife within the sheath. Fig. 6 is a view of a supporting-clip for the sheath. Fig. 7 is a 3 5 detail view in cross-section of a swivel connection between the supporting-clasp and the sheath on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 8 is a view, partly in section, showing the manner of engagement of the supporting-clasp 4 with the belt.

In the embodiment of my invention herein selected for illustration the knife-sheath comprises a body 1, which may be formed of any desired material, but preferably of sheetsteel, and is provided at its upper or receiving end with a flange 2, which may be constructed in any suitable manner, either from the material of the-sheath itself or in a separate piece, the latter construction being illustrated in Fig. 0. The body of the sheath, as 5 clearly indicated in Fig. 3, is made comparatively thin and flat, and the part adjacent the perimeter thereof is thinned down to adapt the sheath, in connection with the inclosed knife, for use as an excavating or intrenching implement. The knife 3, intended to be used with the sheath, is provided with a flanged hilt 4, which when the knife is within the sheath rests upon the flange 2 and may be locked in engagement with the sheath in any desired manner*as, for instance, by means of a swiveled and preferably threaded catch 5, having a shoulder 6, which overlies the flange 4 when in locking position, but which may be readily turned aside to permit withdrawal 5 of the knife. hen the knife and sheath are thus locked together, they constitute a single implement, which maybe used as an excavating or intrenching tool or for any other purpose for which it may be found useful, the 7 knife-handle forming the handle of the implement and the body of the sheathforming the blade or working portion thereof. In order that the cutting edge of the knife may be preserved from possible dulling effect due to contact with the interior of the sheath, suitable means is provided to maintain the knife-blade in a central position within the latter. As here shown, such means consists of a pair of spring-fingers 7, projecting downward within the sheath from supporting portions 8, which may be suitably fastened at any convenient point, as just within the receiving-aperture thereof. The lingers 7 are adapted to receive and center the knife-blade 5 between them and effectually hold the same from contact not only with the sides of the sheath, but also with the front and rear thereof. Suitable means, such as grooves 8, are provided upon the blade to receive the fingers 9 7 and assist in holding the blade from edgewise movement.

The device may be supported in any desired manner, but is here shown as held by a spring-clasp 9, suspended from an ordinary cartridge-belt lOby clip 11, composed of the belt-engaging members 12 andl3, the former consisting of a wire bail having its sides spaced apart to lie upon either side of a cartridge mounted in the belt and the latter a resilient metal strip permanently attached to the upper end of the bail and extending downward parallel therewith to a point a little below the lower extremity thereof, then upward and out through the lower extremity of the bail, thence terminating in the depending arm 14. The clasp 9 is attached to the arm 14, preferably by a swivel-joint 15, to allow of a sufficient swinging movement in order that the implement carried thereby may accommodate itself to the movements of the wearer, especially when in a sitting posture, and also to facilitate withdrawal of the knife or the entire implement. Stop-shoulders 16 (see Fig. 7) are preferably provided upon one member of the swivel-joint 15, cooperating with a lug 17 on the other member thereof to prevent the knife-handle from swinging out of convenient reach of the user or far enough to permit the knife to drop out of the sheath.

The clasp 9 is provided with spring-arms 11, adapted frictionally to engage the edges of the sheath below the flange thereof, the spring of the clasp beingsufiicient to hold the sheath firmly when the knife is withdrawn therefrom, but insui'licient to resist a direct pull on the sheath caused by pull on the knifehandle when the knife is locked to the sheath by the catch 5. Hence by manipulation of this catch the knife and sheath may be readily converted into an excavating-tool, and vice versa.

Many changes may be made in the details and relative arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim 1. An article of manufacture comprising the combination of a knife with a sheath therefor constructed for use as a tool and means to lock the knife-blade within the sheath in such manner that the knife-handle may serve as a handle for the tool and to prevent withdrawal of the knife when the tool is in use.

2. A knife-sheath comprising a hollow body of rigid material adapted to receive a knifeblade, a pair of fingers within said body, and means upon opposite sides of said knife-blade adapted to receive said fingers to maintain the knife-edge from contact with said body.

3. A combined knife, knife-sheath and intrenching-tool comprising the combination of a knife with a sheath therefor, means to secure a contained knife therein and means to maintain the edge of said knife out of contact with said body.

4. The combination of a combined knife, knife-sheath and intrenching-tool with a supporting-clasp therefor adapted detachably to engage said combined sheath and tool.

5. The combination of a combined knife, knife-sheath and intrenching-tool with a detachable supporting member therefor adapted frictionally to engage said tool.

6. The combination of a combined knife, knife sheath and intrenching tool with a swivel supporting member therefor adapted frictionally to engage said combined sheath and tool.

7. The combination of a combined knife, knife-sheath and intrenching-tool with a supporting-clasp therefor, said clasp constructed to engage said sheath and tool with sufficient force to hold the latter against withdrawal of the knife therefrom but to release said sheath and tool upon a direct pull thereon.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GRAHAME H. POWVELL.

\Vitnesses:

H. Pnnsoo'r'r GA'rLnY, MICHAEL DUFFY. 

